I was going to get the the manual, done deal, but then I drove the auto and was blown away. In the past, an auto took all of the fun out of a car (the 5AT manumatic in my wife's 2004 T-Bird second guesses your every command, after about 5 minutes you just give up and put it in Drive), the auto transmission wanted to do one thing and I wanted to do another, very frustrating. The 7AT allowed me to control the car the way I liked and eliminated the clutch. What I like about a manual is the control and sense of connection to the car that it provides, not the clutch. The 7AT up shifts very fast, and rev-matches on down shifts. This is not a "slush box", there is a tight connection between the engine and the wheels. It has logic circuits to prevent/reduce inappropriate shifts in mid-corner on your canyon runs. It down shifts better and faster than I can. It moves between manual and auto operation effortlessly. It has a 19 mpg city rating compared to the 18 mpg rating of the stick. Supposedly the 7AT is even slightly quicker in the 1/4 mile. For me, this is the first auto that made the car better, not worse. Drive them both, you'll know in no time what works for you. Just know that the Z with the 7AT is still, very much, a sports car.
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